After a 4-13 season in 2024 — their second in row with that record — it should not have been all that surprising that the New England Patriots placed only two players on last season’s Pro Bowl roster. One of the Pro Bowlers was expected. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye got in as a replacement selection.
But the other was a bit of an eye-opener. Safety Brenden Schooler, who joined the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Texas in 2022, earned the honor for his work on special teams.
But the 28-year-old Schooler occasionally gets defensive snaps for the Patriots, and he did on Sunday night when New England pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2025 season so far, beating the previously undefeated (4-0) Buffalo Bills 23-20.League Reviews All Plays From Every Game
Schooler did not record any tackles, or interceptions, or any real significant defensive plays at all in the Patriots victory.
What he did was pick up a penalty that is likely to result in further punishment from the NFL Football Operations Department which levies fines on a weekly basis to players called for violations that, the league says, break rules “intended to protect the players from unnecessary risk, promote player safety and emphasize sportsmanship and respect of teammates, opponents, coaches, officials and fans.”
In fact, the league may sometimes slap players with fines even if their infraction was not flagged by officials on the field. The NFL Officiating Department also reviews every play from every game and refers potential violations to the Football Operations compliance team,” the league says.Schooler Flagged for Late Hit on Bills Receiver
In Schooler’s case, there was no need to comb through every play in the Buffalo game. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound defensive back was flagged at 5:43 of the third quarter with New England leading 13-10, for what officials said was late hit on Bills receiver Khalil Shakir, as the Buffalo 2022 fifth-round draft pick caught an 18-yard pass from quarterback Josh Allen and ran out of bounds.
The 15-yard unnecessary roughness call helped spark a Buffalo drive that ended when Allen threw an interception from the Patriots 19 yard line, on another pass intended for Shakir but picked off by New England’s Marcus Jones.
What kind of punishment can Schooler expect to receive from the league office? That depends on how officials who. review the play see it — but if they believe that Schooler’s penalty was simply a late hit with no further intent, the fine agreed upon in the NFL’s collective bargaining process will be $11,593.
If at some point Schooler commits another late hit, that fine would bump up to $17,389. But not only was Sunday’s penalty his first late hit call of the season, it was also Schooler’s first penalty of any kind.
In fact, the flag was Schooler’s first penalty since December 17, 2023, when he was called for offensive holding in a game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
Schooler also received a fine for a late hit call in 2023, coming late in the first half of a December 7 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Schooler was forced to open his checkbook to the tune of $4,861 for that offense. But it appears fines have gone up, and Schooler can expect a bigger price tag for his hit against Shakir.
